


Cheesecake, Etc.

by stuckinastory



Series: Drinking and Eating Their Way To Love [3]
Category: The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Genre: F/F, LJ to AO3, Oldfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:13:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23263771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stuckinastory/pseuds/stuckinastory
Summary: It's some time after Miranda and Charles' custody battle. Life goes on.
Relationships: Miranda Priestly/Andrea Sachs
Series: Drinking and Eating Their Way To Love [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1672732
Comments: 4
Kudos: 101





	Cheesecake, Etc.

**Author's Note:**

> I purposely skipped the custody battle because I didn't have the capability to rein it in, and while it was going on in my mind, there were hysterics and melodrama, and I didn't want to write that. It'd make everything look like a gigantic soap opera. So instead, I have something from after the actual event. For the curious, Miranda won.
> 
> This will be the last of this series until I decide to add to it. I do hope you enjoy reading it. Thank you.

Miranda closed the Book as Andy continued leaning on her shoulder, the younger brunette reading Matthew Pearl’s The Dante Club. The two of them were in the study tonight, after dinner, while the girls were downstairs. It was half a year after the two of them first got together, and only two months after Miranda’s epic custody battle with Charles, her ex, for the twins’ custody. Two months after her latest legal victory, Andy still saw some of the unrelenting dark circles around her eyes and wanted to kick Charles where it mattered, if it wouldn’t cause so much controversy. But for now, she just decided to keep quiet. Whatever people said about Miranda, she was always a good person to have in a crisis like the one they had just been through. She was always calm, level-headed, and mature. Not like most of the people Andy knew. But then again, Miranda was never like most people, and Andy knew that she didn’t want anybody else other than the silver-haired editor. Andy then barely suppressed a yawn.

“Do you want to go to bed?” Miranda said, looking down on her.

“No,” Andy replied, snuggling closer. Miranda then extended her arm and wrapped it around her. “It’ll be nice to stay like this for a while. You know we barely see each other during the morning.”

“That’s true.” Miranda said, as she put the Book near her bag. “Are you done for the night?”

Andy looked at the book she was holding and inserted the bookmark. “I’m done now.”

“Hmmm,” Miranda hummed, and they stayed like that for ten minutes, after which, Miranda released her arm from Andy and leaned her head on the sofa. “Why don’t we have some tea?”

“That’d be nice.” Andy replied, and the two of them lazily went downstairs, passing by the girls’ bedroom first. Caroline and Cassidy were both asleep, and Andy watched as Miranda kissed their foreheads, tucked them in, and walked with her to the kitchen, where Miranda made a pot of tea. Andy then quickly got out the New York cheesecake that Miranda had bought for her a few days ago. It was light and mildly sweet. Just like Miranda, Andy thought, as she watched Miranda move around the kitchen. She was so beautiful, so refined, so gracious, and so intelligent. Andy loved how ambitious she was, how strong and independent she was, and how behind closed doors she was as caring as any wife and mother. Nearby, the tea kettle’s contents came into a boil and Miranda turned the stove off.

“Share?” Andy offered, as Miranda was about to get another set of utensils.

“If you want to.” Miranda replied.

“Sure. Don’t bother getting another fork. I’m not sick or anything.”

Miranda pinched her lightly as Andy yelped in surprise. “You make me sound like a snob.”

Andy rubbed her arm and laughed. “Hey, you’re the one with the antibacterial wipes.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t share my utensils with certain people.”

“Like your exes?” Andy asked, narrowing her eyes as if to challenge her.

“No.” Miranda said, with a twinkle in her eyes. “Like with one Andrea Sachs.”

Andy blushed, and swooned over Miranda again, as Miranda served her tea and cheesecake. There was only one fork, and she and Miranda looked at each other before chuckling softly. “Still awake, I hope,” Miranda said, chuckling lightly. “Unless it’s possible to dream awake.”

Andy received the dessert plate without incident and smiled. “I’m still awake.”

“Well, then.” Miranda said, as she took a bite. “What time are you leaving tomorrow?”

Andy took her bite before answering. “Six-thirty.”

“I’ll have Roy take you to the office.” Miranda said, sipping her tea. “I’ll be in much later, anyway.”

“Nah. Don’t bother. I can always take the subway.”

“You can’t fall asleep in the subway.” Miranda replied, shaking her head slightly. “Besides, that would be a perfect waste of a well-made white trenchcoat. Don’t make this any difficult for you.”

“Miranda, I just don’t want you to do all this for me. I’m perfectly capable of handling myself.”

“I know that.” Miranda said softly, as if she’d been hurt. It was really unsettling to love someone as independent as Andrea was, and she was just learning that. “I just thought it’d be… Never mind.”

Andy watched as Miranda’s chin lowered slightly. She didn’t cry or even looked like she was hurt, but Andy knew that Miranda didn’t like her answer one bit. She had just told Miranda that she didn’t like the way they were piling up on the work hours and then she rejects Miranda’s suggestion, which wasn’t exactly that bad. Shit. She then lifted Miranda’s chin gently and offered a reassuring smile before holding Miranda’s hand. “Hey. I’m sorry. Let’s start again? Um, I’m leaving at six-thirty tomorrow.”

Miranda’s eyes lit up as Andy smiled wider. “I’m going to have Roy pick you up.”

Andy stroked circles on Miranda’s hand and nodded. “That’d be great. Breakfast together?”

Miranda barely suppressed a yawn and had another bite. “Maybe. Coffee?”

“Maybe, but won’t you be kept awake after that?”

“I’ll have Sarah make a relatively weak one.”

Andy rolled her eyes. Miranda’s ‘weak’ coffee was stronger than what most people, or even Starbucks, defined as ‘strong’. “Your ‘weak’ coffee once kept me up until 4 am, you know.”

“Well, you’re not much of a connoisseur, Andrea.” Miranda replied, her tone light and teasing.

“Snob.”

“Plebian.”

“You still love me.”

“True. But I can always change my mind.”

“Aaah!” Andy said, squealing as she threw a wad of tissue paper at Miranda. “You bitch!”

Miranda just shrugged and Andy was drawn to her shoulders. “It’s my best feature.”

Andy just rolled her eyes again, but as Miranda tried to wiggle her eyebrows, she laughed.

“You know,” Andy said, wiping a tear from her eye. “I really love our late night Thursday desserts. And not just Thursday night. Whenever I’m with you, I feel like I’m the most special person on earth.”

Miranda traced Andy’s face with a finger, before Andy kissed her hand. “You are, to me.”

The two of them shared a smile. “We’re gonna get maudlin before I even turn 50.”

“You’ll have yourself to beat up then. I might have the luxury of forgetting.” Miranda said, but the first second after she did, she wanted to slap herself because Andrea’s eyes flickered and became sad.

“I don’t want you to forget me.” Andy said.

“Forget things, Andrea.” Miranda said, shaking her head. “Not you. You’re too easily hurt.”

“That’s because I’m talking to the person who can so easily hurt me.”

The two of them stirred their teas for a while, before Andy finally spoke.

“What do you think about a commitment ceremony?” She asked, trying to gauge Miranda’s reaction. Miranda’s head whipped up in surprise and her eyes widened, genuinely confused.

“You mean like other couples.”

“Yeah.” Andy then started rolling the wad of tissue with her hand. “Something like that.”

“You want to?” Miranda asked. Should she be the one pressing the issue? “Are you sure?”

“Maybe.” Miranda then raised an eyebrow, and Andy sat up. “You know what? I’m dead sure.”

“It’s not all bridal gowns and roses, Andrea.”

“I know, but we’ve been through worse times than I have been with anyone else, and you’re still here. I’m still here. It’s not gonna mean anything legally, but I just want some semblance of formality.”

Miranda eyed her from the tops of her glasses. “So you’re really serious about this.”

“I’d ask you to marry me, but I don’t think either one of us is ready for that yet.”

“You’re too young to tie yourself down with a family.”

“It doesn’t matter. If you find a pair that fits, keep it.”

Miranda laughed softly. “So now you’re comparing us to articles of clothing?”

Andy grinned. “No. Why are you questioning this?”

“Well, for one, between the two of us, I’m the one who’s been married thrice,” Miranda said, taking another bite of the cake, before looking at Andy. “Unless you have something to tell me.”

“I turned down a proposal, once.” Andy replied, shrugging. “It was more of a band-aid for everything else rather than a real, heartfelt desire to get married. Besides, I didn’t think that a marriage would last under the circumstances. We barely saw each other although we lived in the same place. And I was still working for you then.” She shot Miranda a pointed look. “I could be someone’s missus now.”

“Well, you are.” Miranda said, waving her almost empty cup nonchalantly. “Mine.”

“Why don’t we make it concrete, then?”

“Andrea, there are so many things that go into a marri--” Miranda said, stopping herself. “Into a commitment ceremony. It’s an event we have to organize for us, for our relatives, and for our friends, yes, but it's a commitment. For life. My God, I hope it's certainly for life.”

“I’m not saying now.” Andy answered, her voice rising slightly. “It was something to think about.”

“You have to look at these things realistically.” Miranda replied.

“I am looking at it seriously.” Andy said, as she had another bite. “You think we won’t last?”

“That’s trying to predict my life a few months from now.” Miranda answered coolly. “I learned about certain circumstances beyond our control early on in life. Besides, I think it’s too early.”

“So you’re practically saying that we shouldn’t talk about it because it’s just a possibility, and you’re not sure about whether all this,” Andy gestured airily to the kitchen. “Is for keeps.”

“You’re twisting my words,” Miranda said, and Andy nearly winced at the tone. It was hurt, wounded, and exasperated. “Andrea, I am not going to repeat this often. If I had my way right now, I’d marry you, commit to you, or take part in whatever ceremony you want to take part in. You know what you mean to me and how much. But there are so many reasons why I’m not ready for this.”

“Is it because we would be outed by someone and we’d have to fight the same fight we just did against your ex? Why do you have to be the only one that has to protect this family?” Andy asked, irritated. Miranda blinked at the use of the term. Family, Miranda thought, she called us her family. “I love you, I love your children, and I know I can handle everything about you.” She then put her hands in her pockets and then took them out as soon as she placed them in. “Why can’t you just say, ‘Yes, Andrea, I’ll marry you, but I’d like for us to wait for a while until we do.’? What is so hard about telling me that?”

“It’s so hard because you don’t try to understand. I know this is important to you, but I don’t think it’s as vital to our life together as you think it. Why? Because I’ve never known what it was like to feel truly bonded with one person until I woke up next to you.” Miranda said, inhaling deeply. “I know I’m married to you because I can feel it. I feel that if I try to brand it or put it in a box or make it similar to anything I’ve ever had, I’ll lose it. I’ll lose the magic, I’ll lose the spirit, the soul, the essence, whatever you want to call it. I've had three people go starry-eyed enough to want to marry me, but had no interest in building a life _with me_. Build a life with someone who changes, because you should change and evolve as a person. More importantly, I might lose you.” Miranda then laid a hand on the counter in exasperation and shook her head. “I take risks, but I don’t want to take a chance with this. I’m sorry I’m being obstinate, but I don’t know how else I could tell you.”

Andy’s eyes misted over with tears and happiness and she hugged Miranda. “You just did.”

Right there and then, the tension that swept over them like a fog disappeared. Andy smiled and the two of them were perfectly content to stay in each other’s arms for a while. After a few minutes, she then looked down and realized that somewhere between another mock argument and a pleasant conversation, the two of them finished their dessert. She quickly picked up the dishes and put them in the sink. Her mother would scold her if she knew, but Miranda was right about that thing. She really had to let the household help earn their keep sometimes. And tonight, at least, she’d let them clean up after her.

“You know, a lot our late night Thursday dessert nights veer into the direction of an argument, but somehow it manages to fix itself.” Andy said, and then picked up the sponge on the sink.

“Which is of course, entirely your fault.” Miranda replied, and looked at her. “Let Anita do it.”

Andy felt so guilty and then shrugged. “I’m already on my way.”

She then began washing dishes. “Feel free to blame my mother for my very distinct trait of not enjoying the luxury of household help and doing things on my own, but I refuse to do the same.”

“Why don’t the kids earn their allowances by doing the chores?” Miranda offered. “It seems to me that your mother has taught you things I like. And, the girls do need more things on their plate to help teach them responsibility.”

“Right, because lacrosse, ballet, and piano aren’t enough to keep them busy.” Andy instantly looked back at her, remembering the words before that. “Wait. Let’s do a little rewind. Are you serious?”

“Maybe.” Miranda replied, looking at her nails as though they were Marc Jacobs’ next handbag. “That might rub off them faster and better than the van der Woodsens and Waldorfs of the world.”

Andy snorted in amusement and shook her head. “Following the TV show, very interesting.” She then looked Miranda squarely in the eye and raised an eyebrow, before her eyes widened at her newest realization. By then Miranda started playing with her fingers on the counter. “Oh my goodness,” Andy said, starting to laugh. “I think I get it. You think you’re Lily van der Woodsen, aren’t you? The financially independent woman who’s secretly in love with the common middle-class ex rockstar?”

Miranda rolled her eyes at you. “You think you’re funny, hmmm?” She then walked to Andy and handed her their teacups, before smacking her on the rear. “C’mon, Rufus, let’s go to bed.”

Andy only grinned wider, hummed and let out a soft, but fake moan. “Spanking, I like that.”

Miranda glared at her, but Andy had to ignore it because she was blushing so heavily, and because she knew that the thought of yet another experiment would distract her quite nicely.

“I don’t know why I fell in love with you,” Miranda said wryly, keeping her blush to a minimum. Andy decided that she’d enjoy her victories while she can and just continued grinning. “You’re crass.”

“I’m the best kind of crass there is, babe.” Andy replied, wiggling her eyebrows.

Miranda lifted her hand, paused, and then said, “I don’t even know how you come up with those lines.” She then looked at her before walking to the staircase. “Let’s go back to bed, Rufus.”

“A-ha! See, thought that was something.” Andy said, smiling, before turning off the faucet, leaving the dishes on the sink, turning off the lights, and following her lover to the bedroom. When they got there, Miranda was dressing up for bed and Andy latched on to the idea and started conceptualizing.

“Charles can be Bart Bass, but see, unlike the series, you actually marry Rufus. That’s me. Rufus doesn’t really have that much of a story, but at least he doesn’t have hang-ups, he's cool, and that’s good. Right?” Miranda instantly snorted in amusement. Andrea never lived it down. “And you can put Emily as Blair and a random second assistant as Serena, since Emily competes with anybody and everybody anyway.” Andy then paused from her ongoing ramble and jumped up in delight when a new thought came to mind. “Ooh… had a thought. This is really good. Why not Serena as Serena? Get it? Serena as…”

Andy’s thoughts were consumed by Miranda’s lingering kiss. To Miranda’s gratitude, the brunette shut up and returned the favor, and soon the two of them slowly backed to the bed. When the two of them finally broke off, Andy looked up at Miranda in wonder. “If there was a point, I think I just got it.”

“Yes,” Miranda replied airily. “You talk too much sometimes.” She then turned off the lights and smiled when Andy turned on the bedside lamp. She then sat on the bed. “Good night, Andrea. I love you.”

“Just like the better sitcoms, huh?” Andy asked back, and stopped herself from laughing when Miranda rolled her eyes and plopped down next to her, back to her face. “Aww, Miranda, I love you too.”

The two of them shared a kiss and then closed their eyes. Andy smiled wider when she wrapped her arms around Miranda’s waist, and felt Miranda’s hand pull her arm closer. There’d be nothing like that in anything she ever saw, or will see, and to her, the powers that be should let it stay that way.


End file.
